Millions of people are predicted to become climate refugees as global warming increases. A new international pact will be needed to protect their rights to live.

Here is a portion of this overly long article, if you want to laugh or cry you can read the rest yourself.

Global warming caused by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions has been linked to a host of environmental disasters. These include sea-level rise, flooding, spells of droughts and cold and other extreme weather conditions such as frequent hurricanes and cyclones. As such natural catastrophes push inhabitants to flee to safer places, environmental refugees are fast becoming an international security issue.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that there will be 150 million environmental refugees by 2050. The Institute for Environment and Human Security, affiliated with United Nations University, estimated the number of environmental refugees at 20 million in 2005 and predicted the number could be 50 million as early as 2010.

In spite of millions in danger of becoming refugees, at present there is no international law to protect their rights. UNHCR, the United Nations’ refugee agency, does not recognise climate or environment refugees as these categories are not included in the list of legal refugees under the UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention. The Convention currently defines a legal refugee as a person who has fled his or her country due to persecution by the state for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

Anthony Simms, head of the climate change programme at UK-based New Economic Foundation, and the author of a book titled “Environmental Refugees: The Case for Recognition” argues that environmental refugees should be given UN refugee status as environmental displacement of people amounts to “environmental persecution”. Simms argues that developed nations should take responsibility as climate change comes a result of their policies.

So far advocates of traditional “persecuted” refugees are resisting adding the climate refugees to the mix.

For a little balance, our friends at Blue Ridge Forum have a post tonight to help bring some sanity back to the climate debate with an article entitled, “Exposing the Dangerous Deceptions of Climate Extremists” here.

judywsaid

It is nearly impossible to tell from the article, but after doing some research I have determined that Sammy Wilson is not the UK environment minister, but that of Northern Ireland, which has a “devolved parliament.” It governs Northern Ireland, although Northern Ireland also has members of the British Parliament that governs England. Scotland also has a devolved parliament. So it’s good that Wilson says what he does, but he does not speak for the British government, only the Northern Ireland government. Is that clear? If not, don’t blame me, blame the confused Brits!

Mesaid

There a melting glacier that feeds water to China, India, and Pakistan. They have a short time before it melts totally. Are we bringing the 1,321,851,888 (2007 estimate) from China here? How about the 1,147,995,904 in India? The Pakistans population is 126 million.
This government is sickening!